Reading Theme:
Mother Definition, Examples, and Usage Guide (2 meaning)
Meaning 1：female parent (mother)
mother
/ˈmʌðər/
n./v.
a female who gives birth to or raises a child
female parent
➕
/ˈfiːmeɪl ˈpɛrənt/
n./v.
A woman who gives birth to or raises a child, typically the primary caregiver.
📘 Details & Usage
📖 Root Explanation
From Old English mōdor, from Proto-Germanic *mōdēr, ultimately from PIE *méh₂tēr 'mother'.
💡 Mnemonic
Think of 'mom' and 'other' — a mother is the other person who always cares.
📖 Example
My mother always knows how to cheer me up after a bad day at school.
My mother always knows how to cheer me up after a bad day at school.
🔗 Collocations
mother's love – the affection of a mother
mother tongue – native language
single mother – a mother raising a child alone
🔄 Synonyms
🌱 Derivatives
motherhood (n.) – state of being a mother
motherly (adj.) – characteristic of a mother
motherless (adj.) – without a mother
📖 Cultural Story
The word 'mother' traces back to the Proto-Indo-European root *méh₂tēr, which also gave rise to Latin 'māter' and Greek 'mētēr'. It is one of the most stable words across Indo-European languages.
Meaning 2：to nurture protectively (mother)
mother
/ˈmʌðər/
n./v.
to care for someone with the kindness and protectiveness of a mother
to nurture protectively
➕
/tuː ˈnɜːrtʃər prəˈtɛktɪvli/
n./v.
To care for someone or something with the tenderness and vigilance typical of a mother.
📘 Details & Usage
📖 Example
She mothered the lost kitten, feeding it with a bottle and keeping it warm.
She mothered the lost kitten, feeding it with a bottle and keeping it warm.
🔗 Collocations
mother a child – to raise a child with care
mother a project – to oversee a project with dedication
mother a plant – to nurture a plant
🔄 Synonyms
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